About Mary

Let’s get over the stay-at-home mom moniker right now. I’m a parent who is part of a one-income family with numerous kids. We’re OINKs. After working more than half my life for the Federal government, I told my bosses that I was leaving in order to focus on my family. Wanting to chronicle my transition from woman-with-a-career to woman-who-put-her-career-on-hold (if not killed it entirely), I overcame my fear of technology, let go of my privacy and started this blog.

OINKtales went “live” with the following post on May 27, 2009, with the help of my tech-savvy husband, Brendan.

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An Act of “Reasoned Madness”

I quit my job.

It’s true. I walked away from my flexible, pays good money, takes me cool places job that I like very much. As my mother said once and thought repeatedly: What makes a person give up her good government job in a failing economy ON PURPOSE?

Clearly the answer is: I’m crazy. Totally bonkers.

But even so, I gave my decision a lot of thought (mostly while consuming alcoholic beverages and driving my car–not at the same time, mind you). I have three kids. I am overwhelmed with love for them and by the little details of their lives, my husband’s life, our lives together. My life is so intertwined with theirs that I am less aware of “it” and the details of “me” than I used to be. And I am a self-centered person. I was going to say that I am a little self-centered but when one is self-centered, it isn’t a half-way kind of thing.

All parents make choices, big and small, every day. This blog is about one woman’s choices. This is my story.

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If you feel you must know what I look like, you can click here. Why not just post a picture? The truth is: I’m kinda shy. Just one of the many small ironies of the blogosphere. Happy reading!